This architect carries his love of cycling into the digital world, to track down bike parts, get technical information and watch the Tour de France. That doesn鈥檛 leave much time for Facebook or his phone

What鈥檚 your favourite site?

It鈥檚 sheldonbrown.com 鈥� the recently deceased, highly-regarded bike nutter Sheldon Brown鈥檚 amazing source of technical information on bicycles. Interested in your gain ratio? Use the online gear calculator! This man knew everything you need to know, and a lot more besides.

What are you watching online?

In addition to a range of specialist Japanese keirin track-racing bike parts (all conforming to strict weight regulations) I have resorted to eBay to track down a Helvetica letraset, to transfer lettering onto paper. You can鈥檛 get it in shops any more and it gives that slightly wonky, old-fashioned edge to text.

What鈥檚 in your digital holster?

An office-issued HTC Touch Phone, which I find completely infuriating to use, but then I threw away the instructions before I turned it on for the first time.

What was the last book you bought online?

Filthy English 鈥� Jonathan Meades鈥� depraved short stories. Meades is an acerbic commentator on the built environment, and his recent BBC series Magnetic North included a great dead-pan denunciation of architect Alvar Aalto (usually irreproachable) and the 鈥渁rtlessly arty architects and all-purpose beardies鈥� who self-build houses inhis honour.

What鈥檚 your preferred meeting place 鈥� a social networking site or down the pub?

The only discernable benefit of Facebook is that it might prevent me forgetting my girlfriend鈥檚 birthday. I鈥檓 not a member. See you in the Slaughtered Lamb in Clerkenwell for a pint.

What鈥檚 your most recently downloaded TV programme or film?

Tour de France! I don鈥檛 have a TV, so ITV4 online player enabled me to tune in to the tour. It was great to see Carlos Sastre win, because he was first to the top of Alpe d鈥橦uez, and Cadel Evans lose by failing to attack him.

What鈥檚 your preferred means of communication 鈥� email, blog or scented letter?

I phone people more and more. If an email is more than about 50 words long, nobody reads it, so I try to call people and tell them what鈥檚 going on instead.

What shall we play?

Naturally, I liked the hugely enjoyable track racing day at Herne Hill velodrome, organised by 黑洞社区. I like to get out road cycling whenever I can 鈥� it鈥檚 supposed to be friendly, but then my friends are too competitive. I don鈥檛 do PlayStation.

What鈥檚 your most-played iTune?

Probably Girlfriend is Better by Talking Heads 鈥� end of the amazing live album Stop Making Sense.

Postscript

Philip Turner is associate director at Allford Hall Monaghan Morris